


Trying to be Better

by Raven_Queen



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bat Family, Big Brother Jason Todd, Damian Wayne POV, Damian Wayne is Robin, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-28 20:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14457213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_Queen/pseuds/Raven_Queen
Summary: When Damian Wayne is taken by the Riddler the last person he thought would come and get him is Jason Todd. And the last thing he thought he'd have to do is talk Jason out of murder and drag up his own feelings on the subject. But here they were, and Damian would be damned if he didn't stop Jason from pulling that trigger.





	Trying to be Better

**Author's Note:**

  * For [otherman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/otherman/gifts).



> So I wrote this based on a comment on one of my other stories, so you have otherman to thank for this. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

Damian loved being Robin. When he’d first put on the uniform, he hadn’t thought he would. He thought it’d just be another set of chains, another set of expectations that he was going to have to live up to. His entire life had been that way, where he’d been told what to do and where to be, and when Mother had dropped him onto Father’s doorstep he hadn’t expected anything different. 

It was different. Very different. For a while he hadn’t known how to handle it. The freedom that’d been granted him. The lack of having expectations shoved on him. The warmth that his family had given him, even when he hadn’t deserved it. Everything was different, even the things that he’d done before – _especially_ the things that he’d done before.

Before he’d become Robin, fighting was just… fighting. He did it because he was told to, and he was told to be the best, so he became the best. De did enjoyed fighting – the rush of adrenaline, the satisfaction of landing a hit, the pride that came with victory – but fighting as Robin was different. Being Robin was different. It was better. Because as Robin, he was helping people. He was fighting for a _reason _, and he hadn’t realized until he’d put on the uniform for the first time how much of a difference that could make.__

__He’d found a purpose when he’d come to Gotham and became Robin. A reason to fight. A reason to be better._ _

__And on nights like tonight, when he was bored out of his mind because nothing was happening, that’s what he kept reminding himself of. That as Robin he helped people. As Robin he made this city better. As Robin he made a difference._ _

__It helped with the boredom. Mostly._ _

__For three hours Damian had been jumping from rooftop to rooftop, patrolling the city from corner to corner, but he hadn’t run into any problems. Not a single one. Not a mugging, not a robbery, not a drug trade, not a kidnapping – nothing. It was like every criminal in the city had decided to take the night off._ _

__As he started on his second loop, he couldn’t help the little twinge that shot through his gut. There was never no crime in Gotham. There was so much crime in Gotham that the GCPD didn’t have enough men to deal with all of it. There was so much crime that any sane person wouldn’t live here. It shouldn’t be this quite. During the year he’d lived here, he’d never seen it this quite._ _

__Which either meant that all the criminals were avoiding him, or something very, very bad was about to happen._ _

__Damian touched his com link, about to report back to Oracle on the lack of activity, when the sound of something whirring through the air caught his attention. He half turned, moving to go check it out, when something pricked his neck._ _

__He stumbled, his hand going to his neck. Blinking hard he tried to walk, to tap his com, to do _something_ , but dizziness slammed into him so hard that all he could do was close his eyes as he fell to the floor. He didn’t even feel the impact._ _

__Blurrily he looked at the world, now tipped sideways and… spinning. The world was spinning. Damian squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back nausea._ _

__He felt his pulse go sluggish, the strength in his body disappearing. It took his groggy mind too long to supply an answer to what was happening: Poison._ _

__He tried to struggle against it, but all he could do was close his eyes and let the beckoning darkness envelop him._ _

__

__Damian woke up in a cage, his hands cuffed in front of him and his head pounding in time with his heart._ _

__It took him longer than he’d like to admit to sit up. Whatever the poison had been, it’d taken a lot out of him. The good thing was that he couldn’t feel it pumping through his veins anymore – which meant that whoever had poisoned him had also given him the antidote. Which meant they wanted him alive._ _

__The bad thing was that whoever had given him the antidote had also taken his utility belt and all his hidden weapons, even the ones that everyone else overlooked. They’d even taken the lock picks that were made to look and feel like part of his suit._ _

__Then there was the cage he was in, a room made entirely of metal that was both seamless and door-less, except for the large glass window on one wall. He couldn’t see a single flaw or indent where one could be. The only way out would be through the window, but even that was impossible. He could spot bulletproof glass a mile away, and without anything but his body to smash against it there was no way he could break through it._ _

__Everything, from the poison to the cage to his weaponless body, screamed that whoever had taken him knew what he was capable of. And what Batman was capable of. He wasn’t sure that even Father could get out of this cage unassisted._ _

__Whoever this was, they knew them well. And that meant they’d dealt with them before._ _

__Pushing to his feet Damian walked over to the window. Beyond was a windowless concrete room that was roughly twice as big as the room he was in now, with a single metal door at the opposite end. From the wet patches in the corners, he was probably underground._ _

__Damian sighed and sat down, back against the wall so he could look out the window and see the door. Seeing as he couldn’t get out of this cage without help, he was going to have to sit here until either Batman or whichever villain of the day showed up._ _

__The good news was that he didn’t have to wait long. The bad news was that it wasn’t Batman who walked through the door._ _

__The door swung open with a nerve-grating shreak, and the Riddler smiled at him, all teeth and sharp eyes, twirled his question mark cane, and said, “How you doing in there, Robin?”_ _

__Damian pushed to his feet and walked towards the window. Tilting his head to the side he said, “The cuffs are a little tight.”_ _

__“My bad,” he said, walking closer. “I’d come in there and loosen them, but I don’t think you’d play nice.”_ _

__Damian bared his teeth in a grin. “No, I wouldn’t.”_ _

__Riddler laughed, long and hard. Damian watched, his hands balled into fists that he wished he could slam into the man’s stupid face. Straightening back up the Riddler wiped at his eyes and said, “I always enjoy our chats, Robin.”_ _

__Not that they’d had many chats, but Damian could imagine his siblings, especially Jason, mocking Riddler just like he had. If there was one thing that was passed down from Robin to Robin, it was their sass while being held captive._ _

__“Not man enough to face me?” Damian spat to keep him here. To keep him occupied, while he waited for Father to show up._ _

__“Smart enough not to,” the Riddler said, leaning on his cane. “My strength is my brain, not my brawn. I think I’ll stick to outsmarting you.”_ _

__Damian snarled, “Batman is going to outsmart you, and when he gets here and beats all of your twisted games, you’re going to be locked away for a long time.”_ _

__“Undoubtedly,” he said, a smile gracing his face. “Only problem is that by the time he gets here, I’ll be long gone. See, he’s a little preoccupied saving his other two birds that by the time he figures out my clues and gets here I’ll be long gone and planning my next mystery for him to solve.”_ _

__Damian glared at him, trying to think of what mystery he’d be planning. Another one of those twisted games that he liked to torture Father with, undoubtedly. A game that Damian would stop him from playing. He just had to keep him here, until Father could come._ _

__Riddler turned, heading for the door, and called over his shoulder, “Do say hello for me though, will you? Wouldn’t want Batman to think of me as rude.”_ _

__Damian snarled, banging his shoulder into the glass. Pointless. He knew it was pointless. But he was out of words. Out of things to say. Threats wouldn’t keep Riddler here, and he wasn’t going to engage in a conversation. There was nothing he could do but watch him walk away laughing._ _

__He was Robin. He was the son of Batman and Tahlia al Ghul. He was Damian Wayne, and he was supposed to protect Gotham from scum like him. Yet he was locked in this stupid cage, powerless, as Riddler walked away _laughing_ at his pointless attempt at escape._ _

__Rage flooded his veins, the king of rage he had fuel his actions when he was younger. The rage that he was still working to overcome. The rage that he hated but couldn’t diffuse as he slammed his shoulder into the glass again and snarled, “When I get out of here, I’m going to take your cane and beat you with it.”_ _

__There was a low whistle from the door followed by the words, “That’s a pretty violent threat demon spawn. What would Batman say? He’d be _so_ disappointed.”_ _

__For a moment his brain couldn’t process the words. Couldn’t figure out where they were coming from. Then his eyes snapped past Riddler, to the door that _Jason_ was standing in, fully decked out in his Red Hood suit and holding a gun in each hand._ _

__He hadn’t even heard the door open. It’d squeaked and whined when Riddler had entered, and yet Jason had managed to pick what was most likely an insanely intricate lock and then open the door soundlessly. He hadn’t realized Jason was able to do that. Or that he had enough tact to._ _

__Riddler whirled, his cane raising, but Jason lifted his gun and let out a single shot. Riddler cried out and clutched his hand to his chest. His cane flew across the room, spinning end over end, before clattering against the floor._ _

__Jason stalked towards him, gun raised. The Riddler shrunk back, eyes wide and hands raised in surrender. Except Jason didn’t stop walking. He just kept his guns pointed at the Riddler’s head and heart until his back hit the wall. He looked at Jason, eyes wary, and asked, “You wouldn’t shoot me Hood, would you? I thought you were one of us.”_ _

__“Think again,” Jason growled, cocking his guns._ _

__Damian’s heart pounded in his chest, as he watched the scene before him._ _

__The Riddler deserved to die. Damian knew that. For everything that he’d done, for all the pain that he’d caused the people of Gotham, he deserved to die. And it’d be beneficial. He couldn’t factor that out. If Jason killed him, it’d be one less villain that they’d have to worry about getting out of prison sooner or later. It made sense to kill him. The logical side of his brain was screaming at him to let Jason take the shot._ _

__But the other side, the side that he’d learned to listen to since he got to Gotham, the side that was compassion and empathy and everything that his family had taught him, screamed louder, telling him to stop his brother._ _

__“Hood, don’t take the shot.”_ _

__The words clattered around the room._ _

__For a long moment there was silence. Damian watched Jason. Watched his tight shoulders as he kept his guns steady and level. At the rise and fall of his chest as he looked at the Riddler. Damian didn’t look away, willing his brother to back away. To not take the shot. Not when he was turning over a new leaf._ _

__Jason’s grip on the guns turned white. “Why not?” he growled, shoving his gun farther into the Riddler’s face. “He deserves it.”_ _

__“He does,” Damian agreed. “But you don’t kill. Not anymore.”_ _

__Jason’s head snapped to him, the hood hiding any facial expression that Damian could see. But he could guess. Guess that there was a tight jaw and narrowed eyes under that hood, glaring at him for saying that. For reminding him._ _

__Damian stared back. He’d take the glare. Could handle it. He’d received worse, and if this is what kept Jason from pulling that trigger, he’d bear it._ _

__Jason gestured at the Riddler with his other gun and said, “He took you. And he took Nightwing and Red Robin. You could have been hurt. Any of you could have.”_ _

__“But we’re not. I’m fine, and you know B won’t let anything happen to Nightwing or Red Robin,” Damian said. Jason looked back at Riddler, his gun still raised. Damian continued, “They wouldn’t want you to kill him for them. You know they wouldn’t.”_ _

__He felt Jason pause at that. Felt the crack that those words gave. But Jason still didn’t lower his guns. If anything his grip just tightened._ _

__Softly Damian said, “You don’t kill Hood. Not anymore. Neither of us do. For them. For them, neither of us kill.”_ _

__His family, that was the reason he stopped killing. For them he fought against the instincts instilled in him since birth. For them he halted himself when he could take the killing blow. For them he was trying to be better. And he knew, even though they’d never discussed it, that that was the one thing that he and Jason shared. They were both trying to be better for the others._ _

__He heard Jason take a shaking breath. But those guns were still pointed at the Riddler._ _

__“For them we don’t kill. For them we’re trying to be better,” Damian pushed, voice rising. “Don’t kill him, not because he doesn’t deserve it, but because we’re not killer. _You’re_ not a killer. Not anymore. Don’t prove the people who made us this way right.”_ _

__Jason snarled. And then he took his gun and hit Riddler over the head. He crumpled to the ground._ _

__Damian let out a breath he hadn’t know he’d been holding._ _

__A few quick motions and the Riddler was zip tied and Jason stalked towards the glass. He took off his hood, the black hair that they all shared through whatever strange turn of events spilling out in sweat-drenched waves. Shaking his head Jason said, “I don’t know if I want to hit you or thank you for talking me out of that.”_ _

__Damian grinned. “You can do both, but I’ll probably hit you back.”_ _

__Jason barked a laugh, running a hand through his hair. “You see a door in there?”_ _

__“No.”_ _

__“Then go stand in one of the front corners while I shoot the glass. And cover your ears.”_ _

__“I don’t need to cover my ears.”_ _

__“Just do it.”_ _

__Damian glared, but did as asked. He crouched in one of the front corners and covered his ears. And then Jason started shooting at the glass._ _

__It took more bullets than Damian could count, especially with the rapid-fire shots Jason was firing. It took a solid minute before the glass finally shattered, spraying inward._ _

__Damian stood up, wiping off the bits of glass that stuck to him while Jason holstered his guns and used his hood to punch through and wipe away the remaining shards of glass._ _

__He walked over to where Jason was standing, hand outstretched. Grudgingly he took it, even though he didn’t need help, and let Jason pull him through the window._ _

__“You alright babybat?” Jason asked, giving him a once over and trying to dust him off._ _

__“Fine,” Damian said, slapping away Jason’s hands._ _

__Jason rolled his eyes. “Hands.”_ _

__Damian stuck out his hands. It took less than a minute for Jason to get the cuffs off. They fell to the floor, clattering on the concrete._ _

__“So what are we going to do with him?” Jason asked, nodding at the Riddler._ _

__“Wait until Batman gets here and let him take him in,” Damian said. “He’s probably already on his way here by now.”_ _

__Jason crossed his arms, “Last I heard he was tracking down Dick and Tim on the other side of town. If the Riddler hasn’t lost his touch, it’ll take him at least an hour to find them and another to find where he stashed you.”_ _

__“So, what?” Damian asked, crossing his own arms. “You want to turn him in ourselves and then go help Batman find Dick and Tim?”_ _

__Jason snorted. “Not even close. I want to throw Riddler in the room you just came out of, put a bow on his head, and leave Bruce a nice little note while we go watch a movie and wait for him to be done.”_ _

__It was Damian’s turn to snort. “Where are you going to find a bow?”_ _

__Jason looked at him out of the sides of his eyes, a small smile playing across his lips. “That’s the only part you’re objecting to?”_ _

__Damian shrugged. A year ago, watching a movie with Jason would have sounded like hell. He’d have rather cut out his own eyes. Now? It sounded better than waiting around here for hours for Father to show up._ _

__“I get to pick the movie,” Damian said._ _

__“Deal,” Jason said, grinning._ _

__

__Bruce reached the metal door. The one last obstacle in the seemingly empty place that was between him and Damian. Him and his son. He set to work on the locks._ _

__No doubt he’d find Riddler on the other side of the door with another game that he was supposed to play. He almost wished he hadn’t sent Dick and Tim home. Almost. If his sons hadn’t just been captured and were banged up, he would have. As it was, he was happy knowing they were safe at the Manor._ _

__The lock clicked, the sound barely there, and the door popped open a fraction of an inch._ _

__Bruce stood up and pushed the door open, a batarang in one hand and a grappling gun in the other._ _

__He expected to have to fight the Riddler. Instead he found shattered glass and the Riddler tied up in a metal cell, an actual _bow_ on his head, and the words _you’re welcome_ spray painted in red followed by a red hood._ _

__He couldn’t help the growl that came out of his throat._ _

__He was going to murder Jason._ _

__It took too long to grab Riddler, drag him out of the room, and drop him off at the police station. Too long to answer the questions and slip away. Too long to do everything, because all he wanted to do with his steadily growing anger was find Jason and scream at him._ _

__He was going to have words with his second son. Long ones. And probably loud ones, too._ _

__He swung across Gotham, heading for the flat that Jason called home, and perched on the roof across from him. He was fully prepared to swing through the window, scream at Jason for his lack of communication skills and his out of place humor, but stopped short. Because that was Damian sitting next to him. Damian who was smiling and throwing popcorn with the electric glow of the TV lighting their faces._ _

__They were watching a movie. Jason and Damian were watching a movie. Together. Jason had rescued Damian, and instead of just dropping him off at the Manor, he’d brought him back hear and was watching a movie with him._ _

__Bruce didn’t know how to process that. All he could do was stare._ _

__Just then Damian looked out the window. Their eyes met. Damian turned and said something to Jason before pushing off the couch and throwing open the window. “Finally. You took so long we had to start a second movie.”_ _

__A second movie. That meant Jason had rescued Damian over two hours ago._ _

__It should have made him angrier. They’d been here for two hours while he’d been worried out of his mind about his kid, but all he could do was shake his head and swallow the chuckle that was begging to be let out._ _

__“You okay?” Bruce called. It was the only thing he could ask without feeling like his head was going to explode._ _

__“Yeah,” Damian said. “Todd patched me up.”_ _

__Bruce’s heart skipped a beat. Jason had actually bandaged Damian. The only person he’d ever seen Jason help like that was Dick._ _

__He nearly told Damian to get his stuff and come, so that they could go home. But then he heard Jason’s voice, too faint to make out, but Damian looked over his shoulder and _laughed_._ _

__Bruce looked at his sons, at the smiles on their faces and the ease that they had around each other, and shook his head. He had no idea when that had happened. Maybe it’d happened tonight, sometime after Jason had rescued Damian. Maybe they’d been like this for months now but he hadn’t noticed._ _

__Watching those smiles, watching Jason smile with such ease, was strange. But a good strange. They both deserved it. So before he could change his mind, he asked, “Do you want to stay here for the night?”_ _

__Damian looked over his shoulder, at Jason who was still munching on popcorn, before turning back to him and calling, “Yeah.”_ _

__“Don’t stay up all night.”_ _

__“That’s rich, coming from you,” Jason called from inside the room, his voice just loud enough to be heard._ _

__Damian laughed and shut the window. Bruce crouched there for a long moment, watching his two sons, a small smile pulling at his lips. And then he stood up and headed home, swinging from rooftop to rooftop._ _

__For the rest of the night, he couldn’t shake that smile._ _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! Leave what you think in the comments below!


End file.
